Aeroplane.



D. S. FOSTER.

AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION nun SEPT. 11, 1905. 937,587, Patented Oct. 19, 1909. zSHEETS-SHEET 1.

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AEBOPLANE.

APPLIOATIOH FILED SEPT. 17 1908.

Patented 0011.19, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

wi/lwmwo law) $291 mtozwew Z To all whom it may concert:

DAVID S. FOSTER, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

AEROPLANE.

Specification of Letterslatent.

Patented Oct. 19, 1909.

Application filed September 17, 1908. Serial No. 453,386.

Be it known that I, DAVID S. FosTER, citizen of the United States, andresident of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga in the State of NewYork, have invented new and useful Improvements in Aeroplanes, of whichthe following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is afull, clear, and exact description.

This invention resides in certain novel improvements inaeroplaneconstruction designed more particularly to solve the problem ofdirect ascension.

The primaryobject of the present invention is to provide simple andeflicient powerdriven means capable of effecting the afore said result,with the view of dispensing with the expensive and inconvenientappliances ordinarily employed for causing aeroplanes to take flight. Itis well known to persons familiar with aeroplanes, that'it is the commonpractice to provide complex and expensive apparatus combined with awheeledsupport upon which the aeroplane is mounted, said support beingdesigned to be moved rapidly along the ground by hand or propelled bysuitable power-driven means for the purpose of imparting to theaeroplane sufficient momentum to cause it to rise to such an elevationas to clear obstacles incident to its being propelled. The describedmethod is not only expensive and unreliable but 1n some lnstances is notpractical, for

the reason that the use of the wheeled-support obviously-requires a verylarge area of ground which must be flat and smooth and at the same timefree from obstructions, and from the fact that in many locations aproper ground space can not be had.

Another object of my invention is to produce an-aeroplane which shall besimple and inexpensive in its construction, and to provide eflicient andreliable cooperating lifting-means and propelling-means which shall actreciprocally 1n such a manner as to render the aeroplaneself-controlling to the extent that it will adjust itself under varyingforces of the currents -'of air when in flight and thus maintain itsequilibrium, and furthermore, the object is to provide a singlemanually-operated device for independently and conveniently re latingthe act-ionsof the power-driven llfting and propellingmeans, incombination with a simple and convenient steerin -apparatus whereby theaeroplane can he e ectually controlled.

- Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the peculiarconstruction and arrangement of the component parts of the aeroplanehereinafter fully described and claimed and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings.

Referring to said drawings Figure 1 is a rear view of the aeroplaneembodying my improvements; .Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view' takenon the dotted line -XX and showing the. general arrangement of thepower-driven lifting-wheel and propelling-wheel, and the mechanisms forregulating their actions, and also showing the.

steering-apparatus; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail side view illustratingmore clearly the said mechanisms; zF-ig. 4. is a detail plan view of thetwo connected regulating-mechanisms; :and, Fig. 5 is an enlargedvertical secgriong l view taken on the dotted line Like numerals ofreference indicate like parts in the several views of the drawings.

As an essentiol element my improved aeroplane embodies a dirigible bodyconstructed preferably in the form of a biplane, indicated at 11 inFig. 1. This bi-plane comprises a horizontal skeleton frame composed oflight bars of any suitable form and material. In the present case thebi-plane consists of a rectangular boxlike structure comprisinglongitudinal top and bottom bars 22-, vertical bars '33, and transversebars -4=-4 which may be united by means of bolts or rivets. The frontand rear sides of the biplane are open and the top and bottom are closedby sheets of canvas or other materlal 5-5- suitably fastened to the saidbars -22-. Intermediate of its ends the biplane is left open at the topand bottom as shown in Fig. 1, whereat it is provided wlth a car 6' forthe person 'or persons in charge. This car depends from, the .aforesaidframe and may be of any suitable construction, but preferably compriseslong vertical bars 77 fastened to the framebars 22 and connected attheir lower ends by horizontal bars -'8'8- designed to support. a floor--9.

The lifting means of the aeroplane consists essentially of ahorizontally-rotatable wheel comprising a hub -10- having'a set ofpivotal blades -1l11-, said hub being secured :to the upper end of avertical hol low shaft -12- journaled in suitable bearings 13-13 mountedin the frame. This shaft is disposed intermediate the ends of thebi-plane and at the center of its width and extends fromthe car abovethe top of the biplane. To the lower end of said shaft is secured abevel-gear 1l meshing with a like gear 15 secured to the forward end ofthe shaft -16 of a suitable motor 17 mounted in the car in anyconvenient manner. The blades 11-1l of said lifting-wheel have pivotalconnections with the hub l0 to permit of their adjustment to obtain thedesired pitch to regulate the action of .the wheel as will be shortlyreferred to. The said lifting-wheel may be of any suitable or well knownconstruction. The style of wheel shown is similar to that of areversible propeller-wheel common to power-driven boats. However, itwill be understood that in the present instance I do not contemplatereversing the action of the blades, but simply turn them to vary thepitch, it being obvious that the angle of pitch is never to exceed 45degrees. The hub 10 is formed hollow as usual and is divideddiametrically, the line 'of division being transverse in relation to theshaft l2 so as to provide a removable outer section, and at the line ofdivision are provided the usual radially disposed openings -18l8 formingbearings for the stems '1919 of the blades.

The stems of the blades are provided with the usual cranks or levers-2020- to which are connected the outer'end of a longitudinallyshiftable rod 21 extending through the hollow shaft 12. The 0pposite endof the rod is provided with a transverse pin -22- adapted to move in alongitudinal slot 23 in the shaft, and embracing said shaft is a sleeve24.- provided with an internal circumferential groove or channel 25engaged by the pin 22. By moving this sleeve upward and downward on theshaft the rod -2I is caused to actuate the cranks or levers 20'20 on thestems of the blades, where'- by the latter are turned soas to set themat the desired pitch. The construction and arrangement of the describedparts being common in boat-propellers, further illustration isunnecessary.

Any suitable and convenient manuallyoperated mechanism may be employedfor actuating the sleeve 24 for the purpose stated. A very simpleactuating device is shown and consists of a vertically swinging lever 26pivoted to the frame as indicated at 27 and connected to the sleeve bymeans of a rod 28.

The propeller-wheel comprises the usual hollow hub -29 and pivotalblades 3030. Said propeller-wheel is mounted on the horizontal shaft 31'connected to the shaft 16. '-'of the motor. The connecting the lever 26and rod aforesaid liftingsleeve 32 sliding upon the shaft -3l,

the connection between said rod and sleeve belng the same as theconnection between the aforesaid rod -21 and sleeve 24 employed foradjusting the lifting-wheel blades. The sleeve .32- is actuated by meansof a longitudinally movable horizontal rod 33- disposed parallel withthe shaft -3l and pivotally connected at one end to said sleeve asindicated at 34, the opposite end of said rod being provided with asuitable handle -35. In order that the blade adjusting mechanisms of thetwo wheels may be actuated by this handle -35, I provide the rear endportion of the lever 26 with a longitudinal slot 36 through which passesa transverse pin 37 securely fastened to the adjacent end portion of therod 33, to which pin I apply the said handle as clearly shown in Figs. 3and 4: of the drawings. By con- --34 in the manner described it isobvious that the person in charge is enabled by the single andle toindependently and conveniently regulate the actions of the wheels. Bythus regulating the actions of the wheels and providing a suitablesteering-apparatus, the aeroplane can be easily and convenientlycontrolled in its and in its propulsion.

The steering-apparatus may be of various constructions and arranged Inany manner ractical for the requirements. erred form of steering-aparatus however, comprises a rectangular-s aped box -38- composed of asuitable frame covered on its sides with canvas or other material andhaving its ends open. This box may be of any convenient size and it issupported at the front side of the frame of the bi-plane. To render thissteering-box capable of directing the bi-plane in any deslred course, itis obviously necessary that it be permitted to be swung both verticallyand laterally. Said box IOJGCtS from the bi-plane and is disposed at thecenter of the length thereof and it is preferably mounted on a bracketsuitably secured to one of the frame-members. In the resent instance thebracket is of substantlally U-shape and comprises a'horizontal bar 39and a pair of vertical arms 39" rigidly secured to or formed integralwith the end portions of the bar, between which arms the said box ispivotally supp0rted,'as indicated at 40, to allow it to swingvertically. This bracket ascension and descension lbs The prealsocomprises a vertical stem or shaft 41 depending from the bar 39 andmounted revolubly in a suitable bearing 42 secured to the frame of thebi-plane whereby the bracket may be turned to swing the steering-boxlaterally.

The stem 41 protrudes some distance below the bearing 42 and is providedwith a longitudinal slot 43 through which passes a rod 44:- disposedparallel with the steering-box and connected'at its forward end to thecorresponding end of.

the box, the rear end of said rod' being provided with a suitable handle45 for operating it. The rod, when moved forwardly and rearwardly,causes the forward end of the steering-box to be raised and lowered.When the handle 45 is moved sidewise the bracket is turnedcorrespondingly, whereby the box is swung laterally. It is obvious thatthe turning of the bracket results from the engagement of the rod 44with the slot in the stem 41-.

While the described. device for operating the steering-box is efficient,at the same time it will be understood that other means may be employedfor the purpose.

- The operation of the aeroplane is as follows: Assuming the same to beresting upon the round, the person in charge places the han le -35- insuch position as to entirely relieve the blades of the lifting-wheel andpropeller-wheel from pitch, and then starts the motor in the usual andwell known manner. Upon starting the motor, the operator moves the saidhandle 35 either up or down, according to the arrangement of parts,whereby the blades of the liftingwheel are given a partial or fullpitch, as conditions may require, to cause the bi-plane to ascend. WVhenthe desired height has been reached, the operator moves the handle -Z35-whereby the rod -33 and sleeve --32-'are caused to set thepropeller-blades at the required angle or pitch, and-then raises orlowers the handle to actuate the lever 26 and thus shift the sleeve -24.on the vertical shaft 12-, whereby the pitch of the blades. of thelifting-wheel is decreased, which causes the bi-plane to travel forward,the direct-ion of travel being dependent upon the adjustment of theaforethat, when the blades of a lifting-wheel are given a partial pitchthe revolution ofthe wheel will sustain the bi-plane, and if, when fullpitch is given to said blades, a slight pitch is given to the blades ofthe propeller-wheel, the bi-plane will be driven forward and at the sametime caused to rise. By the co-action of the two wheels, it will be seenthat they will act reciprocally, i. e. the increasing of the pitch ofthe blades of one wheel proportionately decreases the power of the otherwheel. By providing the described convenient and positive adjustment ofthe lifting-wheel and propeller-wheel, it is evident that the aeroplanecanbe easily controlled so as to descend to the desired place upon theground. What I claim is The combination with an aeroplane, of a motormounted thereon, a suitably supported vertical rotary shaft extendingabove the aeroplane, mechanism transmitting motion from the motor to thesaid shaft, a liftingwheel mounted on the upper end of the said shaft,and having a set of pivotal blades, a horizontal shaft driven by themotor, a propeller-wheel secured to the horizontal shaft and having aset of pivotal blades, adjusting mechanism connected to the blades ofthe two wheels for varying the pitch thereof to. increase or decreasethe power of the wheels, the two sets of blades being capable ofindependent adjustment whereby the increase and decrease of the power ofone wheel will efiect a corresponding decrease and increase of powerinthe other wheel, and manually, operated means for controlling the saidadjusting mechanism to either independently or simultaneously change thepitch of the two sets of blades as set forth. DAVID S. FOSTER.

Witnesses:

J. J. LAASS,

G. KAISER.

